Columnist Jeff Baker writes about historical styles of beer, some of which are described in the book Tasting Beer, by Randy Mosher. (Courtesy Storey Publishing)

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Free Press Columnist

If you read my column regularly, you know that I like to write about brewing trends. I like to look at the historical roots of new styles and provide some context for understanding why they work or don’t work. This week I was reading about the history of “steam beer” and this got me thinking about other historical styles that I’ve seen popping up lately.

Steam beer may be somewhat familiar to most craft beer drinkers. The most well-known example of the style is brewed by Anchor Brewing of San Francisco. The style originated on the West Coast either from necessity or by chance. Early settlers found themselves brewing beer using lager yeasts. Lager yeast likes to ferment in cooler settings and therefore at a slower pace, but owing to the distinct lack of refrigeration, these beers were fermented at warmer temperatures. The result: A pale, light brew with fruitier esters than traditional lagers.

The origin of the name is a bit of a mystery. Anchor Brewing claims on its website that “it likely relates to the original practice of fermenting the beer on San Francisco’s rooftops in a cool climate. In lieu of ice, the foggy night air naturally cooled the fermenting beer, creating steam off the warm open pans.”

In his book “Tasting Beer,” Randy Mosher attributes the name to the “‘steam’ released when kegs were tapped, a consequence of high carbonation levels.” Whatever the source of the term, it’s now trademarked by Anchor. “Anchor Steam” is registered, and all other brewers who attempt the style are restricted to referring to it as “California Common Ale.” Mosher chimes in to point out that this causes trouble for brewers who aren’t in California. Some East Coast brewers have gotten away with misspelling it as “steem beer.”

Altbier is another oddball historical style that I bet you’re familiar with even if you don’t know it by it’s traditional name. The classic Long Trail Ale is a German-style Altbier. The style originated in Düsseldorf in northwestern Germany and is a descendent of the top-fermenting brown ales that were being produced before lager brewing took hold.

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Alt means “old,” a nod to the old ways of brewing. These ales are copper to amber-brown in color and have their edges smoothed out by a period of cold conditioning (lagering) before being released. About every six months you can find a “sticke” alt from Uerige (Germany) on the shelves at beer shops. Sticke is a stronger version of the style. I recommend checking the date on these bottles since it is only brewed twice a year and it is not really meant for extended aging.

Lichtenhainer is perhaps the most obscure style that I’ve come across recently. So obscure that I had never even heard of it. I found a listing for it in “Tasting Beer;” it’s a historical German style dating to the late 1800s. It combines the tartness of a Berliner Weisse with the smokiness of a Rauchbier. Freigeist “Abraxxxas” Smoked Lichtenhainer Weisse (Germany) is available occasionally at better beer shops and bars. To me it tastes like an Arnold Palmer with a smack of lemonade-like acidity mingling with a tea-like earthiness. It’s an unusual beer, but worth grabbing if you like sour or smoked beers.